the tangled webs we weave
by another moment gone
Summary: multi-fic. For Massie Block, summer is what it's all about. Summer is the time for tanning, reading, and hanging with the two most important people in her life: The Fisher boys. *R&R* -another moment gone-  A spring/summer fic.  Massie-centric
1. face to face

The Tangled Webs We Weave  
>-another moment gone-<p>

**-:-**

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><p><strong>(slight spin-off from <strong>_**The Summer I Turned Pretty **__by Jenny Han)_

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><p><em>[]_**  
><strong>

'I should have seen this coming' was the only thing that rung through my mind that last day of summer: it was my responsibility, it was _my_ body but yet, somehow everything slipped away that summer. The control, the knowledge—all of it should have been good enough but it wasn't. And the rest? The rest will simply have to suffice.

-:-

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

This was the kind of life I lived for: long lazy summer days of bathing under the sun's hot rays, belly-flopping into the ice-cold salty ocean, swimming measured laps in High Hill's pool, the homemade cooking of constant seafood, and last but not quite the least: the Fisher boys.

Harris Fisher and Cam Fisher were the only two boys in my life that I could speak to without sounding like a total and complete dork.

You're probably expecting some kind of explanation as to what they look like, and who I am madly in love with, but the details will follow eventually.

Lounging carelessly in on the burning-hot sand, I flipped the page in my book. Because of my book, I was lost completely in a trance; books can take you to a world that you've never been to, it can paint pictures of reality or erase the images of distasteful memories, it can even help you escape to some kind of place that happens to be much better than where you currently are.

But like all books, when you shut the book firmly, when the story is over, reality returns: always has, always will.

Inside I could already imagine Susannah Fisher gossiping with my witty mother, Kendra Block. Their mother's were best friends and presumably, their children were best friends.

Susannah is like no other; beautiful, strong, willing, kind-hearted, wise, and all around a wonderful, lovely mother. Harris and Cam are so lucky to have such a mom.

I've always wondered what it'd be like to switch places with Harris and Cam, you know, have Susannah as a mom and Jack Fisher as a father. Lately I've wondered it a lot more than usual.

Because of The Fishers, we own a house in the Hamptons, which soon became our permanent house. The house is huge and considerably one of the nicest houses to be on the ocean. Every summer since I was six, The Fishers would drive to New Hampshire just to spend the entire lazy summer under the sun and roof of our house. It became a permanent tradition.

And every summer, I look forward to the sound of the boys noisily tracking sand onto the porch, the sound of fireworks during the Fourth of July on the beaches of the Hamptons, the sound of the grill being used by Harris, the loud boisterous noise of the boys, Susannah and Kendra singing along to The Bohemian Rhapsody whenever Kendra turns on the radio.

"The Fishers will be here soon," Kendra called from the porch, "better get dressed for dinner."

She didn't have to tell me twice; this was the very kind of excitement I waited for every summer. The Fishers lived in Washington, so naturally it was always exciting for them to spend the summer around the ocean under the warmth of the sun. They always took the soonest flight to fly all across the United States just to spend the summers with Kendra and I.

"Okay," I replied, placing a slip of white paper as a replacement bookmark into the book. Jodi Picoult's classic _Vanishing Acts_ had always been one of my favorite novels.

Heading back inside, I took one more glance from the porch. The porch over-looked the great big ocean. It was my favorite view: the summery colors that could only be reflected by the sunset, shades of various pinks, purples, splotches of bright orange and the burning of red. It's the kind of sunset that was beautiful; you could never possibly erase the image from your head.

Slipping through the sliding glass door, I marched upstairs to my room. Along the way, I glanced eagerly into the two rooms to the left and right of my room; Harris and Cam's summer-rooms.

Harris designed it when he was thirteen with Kendra, and Cam helped pick out the colors of his room when he was ten.

Susannah and Kendra worked hard on my room before I was even born into this world. Susannah supposedly picked out the purple of my room, the one spotless white blank wall, and the desk and vanity. Kendra told me Susannah had already had Cam a few months earlier.

I slipped on a team-t-shirt that had all of my soccer friend's signatures, my number, and my given nickname: Slick and various other embarrassing quotes. And after sliding on white shorts, I stared at myself in the mirror.

With Harris and Cam, I never wore makeup. But when I turned fifteen last year, makeup became something I was accustomed to wearing; nothing desperate, just simple mascara, eyeliner and a brush of sparkles on the eyelids and the classic spritz of my Ralph Lauren perfume and I was ready to go.

"Mass, they're here!" Kendra called from downstairs, the eagerness radiating from her voice.

"Coming,"

-:-

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><p>What do you think? Should I continue? I know I have a lot of fics going on but right now I really need to write about some other stuff other than bratty twelve year-olds and dying teenagers.<p>

Review? Thoughts? Opinions?

-another moment gone-


	2. and heart to heart

The Tangled Webs We Weave

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><p>-another moment gone-<p>

* * *

><p><strong>-:-<strong>

**(slight spin-off from **_**The Summer I Turned Pretty **__by Jenny Han)_

* * *

><p><em>[]_

It's funny, you know, the moment you realize the most obvious thing that everyone else noticed before you did. Then once your realization is solid and stuck in your head and heart, you want to face-palm yourself because the words were there: in black and white.

(With a hint of purple, red, and yellow. And brown, lots of brown.)

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><p>-:-<p>

**Chapter 2**

"Massie!" Susannah squealed, she and I ran into each other and collided with a well-deserved hug. "I missed you, baby-girl."

Once she let go, Cam stood behind her. The last time I'd seen him was a year ago; he sure was a lot taller, and handsomer. His jet-black hair was shaggy and the right length; not quite long enough for a haircut but close. He towered over me with a good solid half a foot above me.

"Massikur," his smile was bright and cheery and the sound of his childish nickname for me only brought a broader smile on my own face. "Good to see you," he hugged me tightly.

"My turn," Harris shoved Cam lightly to the left and barged through our mom's to get to me. He lifted me with a bone-crushing hug that lifted my feet off the freaking ground.

"Put me down," I squealed, kicking my feet uselessly. "You're crushing me."

His laughter resounded our once-silent house. It felt great to see my house in movement.

"I hope you don't mind," Cam began, "but my dork of a friend came along. He needed a place to stay over the summer while his parents ditched him for Italy and his sister went backpacking somewhere in Asia. Kendra knows,"

Right on cue, a boy about my age, shuffled into the room; the slight breeze outside tousled his blond shaggy messy hair. When he looked up and met my curious stare, I swear on my life that I've never seen someone's eyes so _brown_. His eyes were the shade of milk chocolate, Hershey's milk chocolate to be exact.

"I'm Derrick," he said with a small smile, "Nice to meet you and thanks for letting me stay at your house all summer."

"Hey," I think I uttered; it's hard to tell if you're saying something out loud or if it's all in your head—that's the problem.

Glancing around awkwardly, I leaned against the doorframe in order to rip myself from his intense gaze. The kid's got the most intense stare I've ever witnessed.

"So," Kendra clapped her hands together, "why don't we eat some dinner?"

We ate clams and fish, the classic start of every summer-dinner in the Block estate. The best part about summer, other than the long lazy warm days, the Fisher Boys, Susannah, was the seafood dinner.

We sat at the round table that was usually vacant during the school year; Dad skipped out on us when I was thirteen. But now that I'm almost sixteen, and the thought of driving sounds good. I haven't forgiven him.

Susannah Fisher is one of the nicest, most incredible women I know. When I look over towards her and my mom in the kitchen gossiping, I stare at her beautiful long dark brown (almost black) stick straight hair. Cam inherited the glossy straightness of her hair while Harris simply had penny-brown hair that was equally as shaggy.

The Fishers have wonderful hair.

I touched my wavy dull-brown hair for a moment, envy and admiration coursing through me.

Sitting around the round table with the four most important people in my life, and a not-so-important intruder, I couldn't help but smile. This Derrick kid was intruding, yes, but at least Harris is still here when he could be at soccer camp—at the college he's been dreaming of going to since he was twelve: Brown.

'What an impossible college to get into' you say, right, well it's a funny story because he applied a few months ago and any day he'll be finding out if he got in.

Harris has always been, and probably always will, be the biggest fan of soccer. He worships the field, kisses the goalie-net, and is 'one with the soccer ball' (or say he likes to say.) And like the true Fisher he is, he's good at everything he does—especially soccer. He breathes soccer and soccer breathes him. They're like exhale and inhale; you can't say inhale without saying exhale and you can't demand someone to exhale without having them inhale first. That's the way it is with Harris Fisher and soccer.

Unlike Harris, Cam is more of a musical kind of guy but he still enjoys soccer.

"So how was your season this year, Cammy?" Kendra asked politely, shuffling her spoon in the clam chowder.

"Great," he said enthusiastically, "Derrick is on the same team as me. He's our goalie and team captain."

The huge difference between Cam and Harris is that Harris is close to perfection as possible; gets all the girls swooning after him, gets the outstand grades, can sing/dance/write/etc, and was the team captain for Briarwood Academy varsity boy's soccer since he was a freshman. Now he's seventeen (almost eighteen) and preparing to go to college next year. Harris missed the cuts for pre-school by a few weeks with his birthday; August 8th.

Cam isn't the team captain, as I've known, but being a freshman, he's got a damn good reputation for soccer already. Not nearly as good as his brother, I've heard, but close-to and has the full potential. Cam's got a lot of expectations to meet Kendra once told me with a frown.

"It's not a big deal," Derrick said with a embarrassed blush, "Cammy-boy should be the one that's captain."

Cam punched Derrick's shoulder in a boyish manner, a smile on his face, "That's not true."

Derrick smiled and his gaze landed on me; his smile was still wide as ever. "Why don't we ask Massie?"

Cam glowered, his cheeks red, "Let's not."

Susannah changed the subject with a breathy laugh, "Isn't there a carnival tonight?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Why don't you kids go? K and I have a lot of catching up to do anyway," she has always called my mom 'K' for as long as I've known her. Kendra in return calls Susannah, 'S.' I guess it's just something that they do.

"Sure but not me." Harris rolled his eyes at the thought of having to be in public with his little brother and his brother's friend.

Susannah shot Harris a glare.

"Fine."

* * *

><p>-:-<p>

People were everywhere, talking, eating, socializing, and riding on the classic boardwalk rides. It was dark outside but the lights illuminated all around us.

The boardwalk was about half a mile away from our side of the beach so we all simply walked. Derrick barely spoke but when he did, he was addressing Cam in his quiet reserved voice. Harris was too busy checking out the surrounding girls' butts to really glower at his younger brother.

"So how's school?" Cam asked, picking up his pace to walk in line with me. Derrick lagged behind for a few moments.

"It's good," I said after a moment; was that really the right answer? I wait all school year 'round with my two best friends, Claire Lyons and Skye Hamilton, waiting for summer to begin.

I'd be in the middle of a lacrosse game, stop in the field with my mouth guard in, and think to myself: _I wonder how Cam's lacrosse team is? I wonder how Harris' multiple-girlfriends are? I hate those girls_.

Summer was the time my thoughts finally came to a full circle and my two best friends were standing, palpable, right in front of me with their crooked smiles and beautiful eyes.

The Fishers are beautiful.

And The Blocks are messed up.

-:-

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><p>review?<p>

-another moment gone-


	3. we're so close,

The Tangled Webs We Weave

-another moment gone-

* * *

><p><strong>-:-<strong>

**(slight spin-off from **_**The Summer I Turned Pretty **__by Jenny Han)_

_[/]_

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><p>This is the kind of summer every girl wants, the possibilities, the chances that could be taken, the dreams becoming a reality.<p>

This was my kind of summer.

* * *

><p>-:-<p>

**Chapter 3**

4"What's the carnival for?" Derrick asked as we approached the entrance. The bright lights were guiding us along the busy boardwalk.

"What kind of question is that?" I rolled my eyes, _what a noob._ "Not everything needs a reason to happen."

Cam chuckled while Harris continued to check out the teenage girls who were giggling and staring straight back at him. Harris has always been a ladies' man—every girl, I mean every girl, has wanted to be with him at one point.

Including me, I guess.

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><p>-:-<p>

"That ride was nauseating," Cam moaned and clutched his stomach in what could only be pain.

"No it wasn't," Derrick boasted, excitement lit up in his eyes.

"Maybe not for you," he said, "but it was for me."

"Suck it up." Cam stuck out his tongue towards me with his classic eye roll. For as long as I've known Cam, he's always been the drama-queen out of the two Fisher boys, probably the entire Fisher family.

Cam's incredibly easy to predict Kendra and Susannah have always stated, but I can't agree. I don't know why they think he's so predictable because I can't predict everything he's going to do, or read his mind or something; I wish I could though. There are times I'd really like to get into his head, you know, see the world he lives in, view situations the way he does.

Harris on the other hand, well, he's hard to read apparently. Susannah once told me she never knew what was going on in Harris' mind and Kendra simply agreed with a nod. But I don't agree; Harris is easier to read than Cam.

Derrick flipped his messy blond hair with a calm expression. "Cam's just a wimp,"

"I am not." Cam snapped.

Derrick raised an eyebrow right as Harris interrupted, "You ladies can make your claims but I doubt any of you can ride that." He lifted a finger and pointed to the roller coaster.

"You're on,"

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><p>-:-<p>

"I want to ride the Ferris wheel," I admitted, staring at the big round wheel rotating above us.

"I don't want to," Harris blurted.

"Neither do I," Derrick seconded, looking towards Cam for a third agreement.

"I'll go," he said with an easy smile.

Something about Cam has always made me want to be near him; it's like this magnetic field and it always drove me closer to him. He's just some bright light and I'm the moth that always wants to fly into the light. He's been that kind of guy: the one every girl wants.

There has always been a slim part of me that knew Cam was more than just the guy, the best friend, and the guy that every girl wants. He's always found a way to make me smile until my cheeks hurt or make me laugh until tears are streaming down my face and my vision is blurry and my occasional-makeup is running. He's always been more than just my friend.

"A Ferris wheel," I breathed. He paid the ticket-master and we boarded a cart that was a dark blue; it matched the shade of the ocean. "I love them."

We dangled for a few moments. Then the machine began moving in very slow movements. I closed my eyes for a moment.

"There's nothing more beautiful than seeing things from above," I said with my eyes still shut. I could feel his stare.

I opened my eyes for a moment and he looked at me with a stare similar to Derrick's earlier. "That's not true," he mumbled, his gaze refusing to meet mine.

"Then what is?"

He exhaled sharply, "never mind."

Like I said, Cam has always been difficult to understand. He's so bewildering. One minute I think he's going to take a left, he takes a right, or I think he'll say something and then he doesn't.

I raised an eyebrow but let it slip—he'd tell me if he wanted to, that much I knew about him. The last thing he'd want is his practically little sister annoying him.

He wrapped an arm around me because I was shivering apparently; I didn't even realize I was cold. He shot me an award-winning smile and I closed my eyes and leaned against him as the wheel moved us to the tippy-top of the entire carnival.

It's been clear to Susannah and Kendra that I was so in love with Cam; everyone knew it but Cam. It was an impossible argument between Susannah and I. She'd catch me staring at her son during a movie-night and shoot me a knowing wink and I'd blush and turn away.

"_Just you wait_," she'd tell me with her infamous smirk.

In this moment, I didn't need a kiss or a boyfriend or any words, really. I was content in his arms.

-:-

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><p>Review?<p>

-another moment gone-


	4. yet so far apart

The Tangled Webs We Weave

-another moment gone-

* * *

><p><strong>-:-<strong>

**(slight spin-off from **_**The Summer I Turned Pretty **__by Jenny Han)_

_[/]_

* * *

><p>Dreams and reality are two completely different things.<p>

-:-

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

The first thing that happened when Cam and I returned home, at exactly ten-thirty to Kendra's approval, was the interruption of Harris Fisher.

"You guys looked pretty cozy up there," he noted with his infamous smirk. Harris leaned against the marble counter lazily and sipped from his glass of god-knows-what.

A lot can change over the course of three seasons.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said without looking at him. I couldn't even spare Cam a glance.

"Where's mom?" Cam asked, shooting me a _changed the subject_ face. I smiled.

"Sleeping," Harris grumbled.

"Where's Derrick?" I asked, glancing around the room for the blond-haired boy.

"Upstairs watching TV," Harris answered. "See you dudes later." He left the room but not before wiggling his eyebrows in Cam's direction. Harris was never a very subtle kid.

"Thanks for tonight," I heard myself squeak. I looked Cam for a moment, trying to scrutinize his face, but as always, he remained a huge mystery to me.

"No problem," he said easily. "Night, Massikur."

At the sound of my old-time nickname I smiled. Ever since we were young, Cam had been calling me Massikur. He said it suited the drama that somehow ended up weaving itself in my life over the course of the school year. Cam and Harris went to the brother school of my school for the off-season football games but whenever we visited them in Washington, it seemed to be I only saw Harris during the night football games. When I brought Cam to our grade-parties, my friends made a point to show that they weren't shy to point out the fact that Cam was a good-looking kid.

"Night footloose," I retaliated over my shoulder. I gave him the nickname because I've busted him multiple times dancing in his room to oldies music. 'Mom got me into it,' he'd claim.

I started up the staircase then realized I wasn't sleepy, even though the games at the fair were kind of tiring. As opposed to running up the stairs, I decided to take a walk on the beach with my iPod.

When I stepped out onto the porch, I relished the smell of ocean salt. The ocean had its own scent and the smell was as distinct at Kendra's cooking. I walked along the cool sand with bare feet, listening to 'You Get What You Give' by The New Radicals—a personal favorite—and focused on enjoying this not-too-hot summer evening. I also recounted the best highlights

Just as I was about to walk back, I noticed a small figure over the dunes. The figure was spread out like starfish and I found myself walking closer to it.

The unmistakable blond mesh of hair was a dead give away.

"What are you doing here?" I pulled out an ear-bud. I towered over him.

"Star-gazing," he mumbled so quietly I had to strain to hear his voice. He wasn't looking at my dumbfounded face.

"Why star-gazing?" I replied.

I half expected him to give me a smartass remark about how I was too curious, and then I also expected him to say 'because.' But no, Derrick Harrington surprised me.

"It helps me think," he said deadpanned.

I took a seat next to him, contemplating whether or not I should lay down too. "About what?"

"Lay back," he ordered without looking at me. "Then close your eyes."

I was a little suspicious about his demands but I did it anyway. Soon, everything became quiet except the distinct noise of the ocean waves pulling in and out. The moon was a full and it reflected off of the ocean.

Tonight couldn't have been more beautiful.

"What does this do?" I asked with my eyes shut.

"You tell me," he shortly replied. I didn't look at him but I swear he was smiling.

"Why are you really here?" I blurted.

He sat up; I could feel his figure next to me. "What do you mean?"

I remained on my back, staring up at the many constellations. "Why are you here with the Fisher family?"

Derrick didn't answer, he chose instead to lie back down and stare up at the stars as well. "Look at that," he murmured, his pointer finger pointing straight up, "it's Cygnus."

"Huh?" I could feel my face scrunch in confusion.

"It's a summer constellation," he explained, "it's a swan."

"They pair up for life," I said lamely.

"I know."

I looked for Cygnus in the illuminated sky. I've always wondered what it would be like to be named after a beautiful, bright star.

"Where is Cygnus?"

"There," he pointed again.

"Oh," I whispered. I gazed at the stars displayed above me. How much more beautiful could the night be?

Night and day were so different and each had their own perks and negatives. Personally, I favored the night over the day—things and people tended to be much more spontaneous.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" He asked after the dead silent moment.

"Probably," I admitted, "but I wasn't tired."

"Are you now?" He asked thoughtfully. It almost felt like he was calculating and scrutinizing me with those brown, brown irises.

"Kind of," I fought a yawn.

"Better go to bed," he answered, "we're got a big day tomorrow."

"Oh?" I played along.

"Yeah," he nodded, "we're going sailing."

"Whose we?"

"Cam, you and me."

I didn't respond. I started to get up though, figuring it was a good time to dismiss myself. As I was just about to walk away, Derrick said quietly, "Tonight was nice."

"Yes," I lamely answered, "night Harrington." I picked my feet up and began to walk back into the dark, quiet house. I could hear Harris snoring from the kitchen floor.

Although nothing _really_ happened tonight, I found myself wanting to keep this moment to myself.

-:-

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><p>Longer chapter! Sorry about the long, long wait.<p>

Review perhaps?

-another moment gone-


	5. i close my eyes,

The Tangled Webs We Weave

-another moment gone-

* * *

><p><strong>-:-<strong>

**(slight spin-off from **_**The Summer I Turned Pretty **__by Jenny Han)_

_[/]_

* * *

><p>Like animals we play these games.<p>

-:-

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Normally on a summer morning, I would lazily wake up around 9:30 or so, but _nooo_, Derrick and Cam saw it fitting to wake me up in a haze at 5:30 just to go sailing.

"Hurry up!" Cam called from downstairs.

I was blinded by sleep and I'm pretty sure my hair looked like a bird's nest but it didn't matter either way because I was going to end up capsizing in the Sunfish sailboat Kendra bought us for the summer.

"Ready Block?" Derrick poked his head into the door with wide-awake eyes. I slowly turned to glare at him.

"I'd be ready if I got to sleep in four more hours…"

"That's too bad," he smiled lazily.

"Hop off," I grumbled. I stumbled blindly into the hallway that led to the rug-stairs.

"You know you love me," he called from the room across the hallway. Apparently he didn't have any respect for the rest of the sleeping household.

I sluggishly walked down the stairs, eyes half-opened, half-closed. "Why so early?" I asked when I got into the kitchen where I saw Cam frying eggs.

Damn, it was still dark outside.

"We have to get out for the sunrise." He glanced at me and tried to bite back a laugh. I flipped him off and took a seat on the nearest stool then promptly stuck my head on the kitchen counter.

"Late night, huh?" His voice told me, even at this deathly hour, that he knew I didn't go to bed immediately.

"Kind of," I admitted sheepishly.

"With who might I ask?"

"No one," I said. I lifted my head to stare at the egg that was frying on the black greasy pan. "Yum, can I have a few?"

Cam stared at me for another moment but eventually nodded wordlessly.

"The sun is already rising," I complained after another passing second.

"I know," he agreed, "you took too long."

I glared at him playfully, "Derrick's taking longer than me."

"I know," he said again, "he was up late too."

Silently, Cam handed me a plate with two eggs-over-easy on it, a fork, salt and pepper. "Juice?"

"Sure," I whispered.

He handed me a tall glass of orange juice right as Derrick ambled down the stairs. "Morning sucks or what?" Derrick took a seat next to me and gazed at the next egg Cam was frying.

Cam nodded without meeting my stare.

My eyes were unfocused on the eggs as I let the eggs become blurry and unclear. My future for today: blurry, unclear, and bound to be cliché.

* * *

><p>-:-<p>

The breeze felt amazing as we drifted farther and farther away from the little white dock. Slowly, my house, our house, slinked away from our views. The sky was no longer burning but now it was slipping into dull shades of blue. Clouds were nowhere to be seen and immediately, I prayed today would be a beautiful, warm summer day.

"The wind is perfect." I commented. I turned to look at Derrick and Cam who were strangely quiet. "Why so serious?" I joked but neither of them laughed. They chose, instead, to shoot each other pointed looks.

"Okay…" I trailed awkwardly.

"We can sail for as long as you want, Massikur," Cam assured me after snapping out of his weird trance.

I kneeled on the front of the boat and closed my eyes. I inhaled the fresh salty air and smiled; I felt like a statue from the Titanic.

"And why is that?" I asked with my eyes still closed. Already I could feel the sun heating up the earth.

"I packed a picnic," Cam stated, triumphantly?

"Thanks footloose," I grinned at him. I stared out into the vast ocean.

When I was ten, Cam also was ten; we used to play in the waves of the ocean. It was the best because we would bodysurf the baby-waves. Cam liked to pretend he was a professional surfer while I, on the other hand, liked to believe I was a dolphin. The problem with bodysurfing was that sometimes the waves ate you whole and you no longer had control of when you could swim to the surface and breathe.

One incident came to mind. It was a really sunny day, it had to be at _least _eighty-eight degrees outside. Kendra and Susannah were lounging on the deck with cold lemonade, catching up, Harris was playing with the neighboring boys and Cam and I were heading down the porch steps towards the beach.

Susannah always made it clear that we were not to go swimming unless Harris or one of them was outside to monitor.

It was so hot out that we swore we were going to melt.

"Can we go swimming?" Little Cam had asked with wide eyes.

"Why not?" I answered. "Our mommy's are outside anyway. They can see us."

He smiled at me then, took my head, and we raced down to the hot sandy beach.

"It's too hot," I complained when we reached the ocean.

"Let's go bodysurfing. We can play lifeguard!" Cam suggested.

"You can be the one to drown though," I demanded. I hated being the patient—I was _always_ the patient who had to practically drown.

"Fine."

He ran out into the ocean. I think he wanted to prove to me that he could swim farther than me. Cam wanted to remind me that even though I was a week older, I was not a better swimmer than him. The waves were particularly strong that day; even I remembered that to this day.

"Not too far!" I yelled from the hot, beach.

His reply was muffled.

The rules to Lifeguard were that I would have to rescue him. We were careful not to scream _help!_ Too loudly or else Susannah or Kendra would come try and rescues us.

"Help," I think he had cried.

"I'll save you!"

I remember sprinting to the beach, a firm, solid memory now, just to save this boy. I had stumbled into the ocean and immediately I knew the waves were too strong for me.

"Where are you Cammy?" I had stared into the ocean tides blankly, but there was no mop of black hair to be seen. "Cam?"

His call was loud, penetrating, and probably one of the scariest screams I had ever heard. "_Help!_"

I remember I stumbled over the grainy sand that gave into my feet. By the time I had reached the porch, I screamed just as equally as loud: _Help. _

"Cam's downing!" I had shouted.

My legs were weak and I kept glancing between the deck and Cam's disappearing head.

Kendra and Susannah weren't on the deck anymore as it had turned out, but Harris was just returning from the neighbor's house.

"What's wrong, Massie?" He had asked me. I think panic was screaming in my eyes because Harris immediately searched the beach for my partner in crime.

"Where's Cam?" Panic had risen in his voice. I didn't respond because Harris was already bounding towards the ocean.

"I'm coming!" He had screamed. He tumbled through the waves and began doing the front crawl. His body occasionally disappeared from my sight on the beach but he always resurfaced.

When I finally saw Cam being dragged by Harris, I think I was sobbing. I don't remember the minor, minor details.

"You alright?" Harris asked Cam. He was practically blue. Harris pressed his hands on Cam's chest.

Immediately color drained into Cam's face and he was gasping for air and spitting out water all at the same time.

"You better be okay," Harris warned with edge in his voice, but his face said otherwise. His face was washed with what could only be relief. "Don't scare me again, little brother. Am I clear?"

Cam coughed a few more times and nodded solemnly.

Once Harris left, I turned to Cam and glared. "You scared the jeepers out of me, Cammy."

He frowned, "Sorry Mass."

"Next time," I declared, "you'll save me."

He stuck his tongue out at me with his boyish smile. I laughed too even though I hoped, even then, that he would save me.

* * *

><p>-:-<p>

"Remember when we were ten and you almost drowned?" I prompted now. I turned to see Cam's face expression. He smiled faintly.

"Harris saved me,"

"Yeah," I agreed sincerely, "he always has."

* * *

><p>-:-<p>

We allowed the wind to carry us everywhere. We sailed all along the ocean; thankfully the waves weren't rough like they were all those years ago.

"Cam, don't you think it's getting a little too comfy on this boat?" Derrick asked; beads of sweat were forming on his sun-kissed skin.

"Oh yeah," Cam nodded with a smug smile on his face, all-but-forgetting his distaste towards Derrick from this morning.

"Let's fix that—"

"Don't even think about it," I warned. I did my best to hide the panic rising in my throat but it was very, very evident in my voice.

"One," Cam called from the bow.

"Two," Derrick cried.

"_Three_!" They screamed in unison. Together they managed to tip a very balanced sailboat to the left. I watched in slow motion as the boat tilted, wobbled, then crashed into the ocean.

Abruptly I felt the cool, salt-filled water before I could see anything. I had never been one who could open their eyes under water—especially salt-filled oceans.

"You guys _suck_," I shouted when I resurfaced. Together they burst into laughter. I couldn't stay mad for long because now the sun was shining brightly down upon us, there wasn't a cloud in sight, and the water was reflecting shiny sparkles all around us. The water was the perfect temperature too.

"You know you love us," Cam said with a cocky grin. He swam closer to me and Derrick floated behind.

I collapsed onto my back and floated with my face towards the sky with the sun kissing my soaked skin. I shut my eyes again.

"Help us fix the boat," Cam called from far away. The boat was floating away.

"No way," I said, "you tipped it—you fix it."

From a few feet away, I saw Cam stick his tongue out at me childishly and I think my grin matched his.

Some things never change.

-:-

* * *

><p>Longer chapter, shorter wait= perhaps more reviews?<p>

Thanks!

-another moment gone-


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